Just a Genius
by Brainiac5
Summary: Fate hasn't had this much fun in years! Sure, Exo-Force's attack on a no-longer-secret robot lab had inadvertently become more than just a sabotage mission. But that was nothing compared to what awaited the strike team's return to Sentai Fortress…
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The End of the World**

The world was coming to an end, Ryo was sure of it. He even had proof, beyond the shadow of a doubt.

First-- life was now officially a cheesy science fiction plotline come to life. Robots were trying to destroy the human race. This was (no duh) because they considered themselves superior to 'puny biological organisms'. Pretty straightforward, no biggie, right?

Yeah, well, that's because in cheesy sci-fi stories, the humans end up winning.

That was the problem with fiction, the good guys either had to win, or the bad guys ended up good, or the book was really creepy… and only demented people would write something where the bad guys would win and not turn good. Of course, this was all according to teammates who didn't know a good plotline from a hole in the ground, so…

Where had he been going with this? Ah yes. Proofs.

The human race was faced with the threat of extinction. That, in a nutshell, was Proof #1.

Proof #2: He was stuck behind the battle lines, doing nothing more useful than cleaning a malfunctioning septic pump.

Ryo grimaced at the very thought. _And I thought life would always be exciting here at Exo-Force,_ He thought dismally. _So much for that!_

Frowning, the techie tried to think of another proof. _I know I had more… Oh yeah._

Proof #3: Sensei Keiken hadn't approved his idea for a new battle machine.

Ryo called it 'Uplink', but he hadn't told Sensei the name just yet, just given him a general idea of what it would be. Sensei practically had thrown it back in his face, telling him that they didn't have the time.

If that was the case, then why, pray tell, did they have the time to clean the septic pumps? How on earth could clean septic pumps take priority over preserving the human race?! Ryo shook his head, sighing.

_Proof #4: The food here tastes worse than the gunk in this septic pump smells, _Ryo thought, grateful he was wearing a fibrous oxy-filter.

Although it was basically a glorified oxygen mask, the thing still managed to block some of the repugnant scent commonly associated with septic systems. For that, Ryo was eternally grateful. But that didn't mean the world wasn't coming to an end.

Then again, it's always darkest before the dawn, no? This just proved that the world really was ending. Or so Ryo thought, until the strike team sent to sabotage a "secret" robot lab returned… Then he was absolutely positive the world was ending.

Ryo grimaced, shaking his head as he lugged a glob of who-knows-what out of the pump.

_Yuck! I wish I could have gone with Ha-Ya-To, Takeshi and Hikaru, instead of cleaning… Oh well, they were only going to mess up a not-so-secret-anymore robot lab. Ha! Exo-Force: 1 Robots: 0 in the destroying secret labs competition. I mean_, _at least _my _labs are still a secret,_ he thought smugly. _Of course, to get into my labs, the robots would have to destroy Sentai Fortress… and that would just compound the 'end of the world' issues. Which leads me to Proof #5..._

* * *

"Hey Ryo! The Gate Guardian needs a little help here, the Robots weren't exactly happy today!" Ha-Ya-To shouted. The red-haired pilot hoped out of the small yet capable Gate Guardian Battle Machine.

"Ryo! Stealth Hunter! Now!" Hikaru yelled, also exiting his Battle Machine. "This thing looks like it's going to blow!" it was an exaggeration, but Ryo didn't have time to correct him.

"Grand Titan doesn't need repairs. _I_ take care of my Battle Machine," Takeshi replied, shooting a killer glare in Hikaru's direction.

"What? That thing's practically falling apart!" Hikaru snapped at the green-haired pilot.

"Not as bad as yours!" Takeshi shot back.

"Oh yeah?!" Hikaru snorted, looking like a bull ready to charge.

"_Both_ of your battle machines need fixing," Ryo piped up, 'appearing' between the two much like a character in an anime might. "And if you two could keep it down, I kind of have a migraine that would appreciate some peace and quiet." Ryo smiled sweetly, but his eyes sparked with badly concealed frustration.

Hikaru glared at Ryo. "Just because you were part of the design team…"

"…doesn't mean you can boss us around," Takeshi finished, folding his arms over his chest. "Anyway, fix Grand Titan first."

"No, fix Stealth Hunter!" Hikaru shot back.

Almost before Ryo realized what was going on, both pilots were tugging on one of his arms, each trying to drag him towards _their_ Battle Machine. That was when Ha-Ya-To jogged over. "C'mon guys, have a little class for the lady's sake," he urged.

Both of them dropped Ryo instantaneously, who hit the floor wondering if this was what an overstretched rubber band felt like. Wait, lady?

Ryo stood and brushed himself off self-consciously, wondering exactly who these guys were talking about.

"So, we rescued you from the robots," Ha-Ya-To said to whomever he'd dragged over. "Would you mind telling us your name? I'm Ha-Ya-To, by the way."

Ryo glanced up and froze in mid-brush.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "You've told me your name three times, and I've tried to tell you mine at least that many. You kept interrupting me. Either that or you weren't listening," she said, smiling at Ha-Ya-To coldly and tossing long violet hair over her right shoulder.

"I'm Hikaru," Hikaru said, stepping forward and extending a hand. "Nice to meet you. You know, after taking the time to beat all the metal heads away from you. That moron with green hair is Takeshi--" Here he broke off as Takeshi shoved him.

"I'm Takeshi, and I'm well capable of introducing myself," The green haired pilot said. "And I don't think we heard your name, miss…"

"Rika," She said, eyes half-closed.

"Oh yeah, This is Ryo," Ha-Ya-To said, pointing at the techie, who had managed to straighten up, but continued to stare at the girl.

Hikaru glanced at Ryo. "What's your problem?" He asked, frowning.

Ryo blinked.

"I know him already," Rika said, eyes cold as ice. "I hate him." She sniffed, spun on her heel and stalked away. "Can one of you get me a room? I need to take a nap," She tossed over her shoulder.

Ha-Ya-To blinked. "Sure, in a second," He called after her, then turned to face the purple-haired techie. "Who was that --what the heck?!-- and how does she know you?"

"She's my sister," Ryo said simply, "And she hates me."

A/N: This story idea has been nagging at me for awhile, so... I thought I'd try it out. Hope you like! Review please! This actually takes place before my first Exo-Force fic, 'I call it Uplink', and it's AU, completely and totally. This is just me making up most of Ryo's backstory for my own enjoyment...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Just When Life Couldn't Get Worse...**

Ryo stared at his bowl of slop dispassionately, trying to think of a way to dump it into the trash without anyone seeing. Hikaru slid onto the bench next to him and promptly began eating. "What, aren't you hungry?" Hikaru asked.

Ryo frowned and choked down a single bite. "Not really," he muttered, stirring it and trying to ignore the strange-colored lumps floating to the surface. _That orange could be carrot, but purple… what is it, eggplant? Ugh. I don't want to know…_

Another tray slid onto the table and Rika sat down, glancing at Hikaru. "Good morning," she said. "This food is _amazing_. I mean, compared to the treatment I got from the robots, this is like… Oh." she stopped, glaring at Ryo. "Sorry. I didn't realize you were already talking to someone. I'll go," she said, starting to stand.

"No, you can stay," Hikaru said, grabbing Rika's arm. "I think he was just leaving. He always manages to sneak off when I'm about halfway through my meal, hoping I won't notice him dump his stuff in the trash on his way out."

By now, Ryo was seriously considering sliding under the table. Or murdering the Exo-Force pilot. Whichever came first.

"Why am I not surprised?" Rika muttered, glaring at Ryo. "Mr. Picky doesn't like the food here? That's terrible," she snorted, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

Ryo could practically feel himself melting under her burning gaze. _It's not fair to say that,_ he thought. _I wasn't picky, I was, um…not _**picky**_…um…_

"So, are you going to leave now? Hikaru's half finished now," Rika interrupted his thoughts, openly glaring in Ryo's direction.

"Sure, why not," Ryo muttered, standing and dumping his leftovers into Hikaru's bowl. "Save yourself a step," He muttered spitefully, "Don't go back for seconds."

Then, he quickly left the mess hall, desperately wishing this entire day was nothing more than fragments of his subconscious forming a ridiculous scenario.

_Please, please, please… let this be a bad dream!_

* * *

Ryo cracked his knuckles, chuckled and hefted a welding tool, flicking his helmet back down and grinning as he fixed up Hikaru's Stealth Hunter. "At least no one's bothering me here," he said aloud, his voice echoing in the helmet. "Or implying that I'm picky, or getting on my nerves…" he sighed, flicking off the torch and inspecting the work. Pulling off the helmet, he re-situated his headband and pushed his hair out of his eyes, only to have it fall back in his face.

Shrugging, Ryo turned to the Battle Machine's internal combustion chamber. It needed a new power converter, and fortunately, the power converter just happened to be… oh, wait, in his other lab. Drat.

Sighing, Ryo turned to the door. _Now I have to leave here, and someone's going to tell me I just _have _to meet the new girl. I just _know _it…_ he thought irritably. _And then when I say I already have, they'll say something implying that she and I should get to _know_ each other, and then I'll say she's my sister, and then they'll ask why I'm not with her, and that leads to a _huge_ list of questions and answers I don't want brought up… _Shaking his head, Ryo sighed. "I have got to stop thinking in run-on sentences," he mumbled, pushing open the door just in time to see Hikaru jump back.

"Oh, Ryo!" he exclaimed. "Just who I wanted to see! See, um, I have a problem."

"With what?" Ryo asked tiredly.

"The lights in my room were flickering, and I changed the bulbs twice, and then I checked the wiring, and now they don't work at all," Hikaru explained.

"Why am I not surprised?" Ryo asked no one in particular.

"Um, yeah. Can you fix them?" Hikaru asked.

"Sure," Ryo agreed doggedly, "Lead on."

* * *

"Oh, hi Rika," Hikaru said. "Are the lights working yet?"

Ryo cringed and started edging away. _Why would he do this to me?!_ Ryo's mind howled. _What was he thinking?!_

"I don't know. I can't see what's wrong with them," Rika said, shaking her head. "This is really frustrating. I used to be a pretty decent electrician… But I've gotten so out of practice, what with being captured by the robots."

"I understand," Hikaru said, shaking his head sympathetically.

Ryo continued to edge away. _Okay. If I can get another six inches' distance between me and Hikaru, I can dash away quickly, and neither of them will be the wiser…_ Ryo thought, adding another two inches of distance between himself and the blue-haired pilot.

Suddenly, Hikaru whirled around, grabbed his shoulder and drug him over. "See anything wrong, Ryo?" he asked.

Rika's expression darkened to an abrupt frown. "Oh. You brought _him?_" she snapped, "I should have known I wasn't needed."

"No, I just saw him trying to slip by. Probably to find some tools he left in his other lab," Hikaru said, the lie slipping easily off his tongue.

Ryo glanced back and forth between the two, feeling rather like an unwelcome insect.

"Hmmph," Rika muttered, glaring at Ryo. "So, _genius_, what's wrong?"

"That transformer's in backwards, and someone switched around two wires," Ryo said weakly, gesturing at the wiring box with his right hand.

"Oh," Hikaru said, "Oops."

"Goanna fix it, genius?" Rika demanded irritably.

"You can, if you want," Ryo murmured, feeling as though anything he said would be taken badly.

"Oh no, go ahead," Rika snarled.

_I didn't want to be right about that,_ Ryo's thoughts wailed. _Can't fate ever cut me a little slack?!_ Sighing, Ryo uneasily stepped forward, deftly fixing the wires and transformer. Stepping back, Ryo closed the little hatch outside Hikaru's door and turned around to face the blue-haired pilot. "There you are," he said to Hikaru, "Can I get the power converter I was going for now?"

Hikaru shrugged. "Sure," he replied generously, "go ahead."

Ryo couldn't move down the hall fast enough, feeling a flush creep up the back of his neck. Knowing Rika's dark eyes were smoldering in his direction had never been favored knowledge…

_

* * *

_

Now, if I can just stay in my labs --or room-- without contacting any other people until Rika finds somewhere else to live, work, whatever, I will be the happiest man alive,

Ryo thought, carefully securing the power converter inside the Stealth Hunter. "All right, now for the wiring," he muttered, spinning around and digging into his toolbox. "Come on, it has to be here somewhere…" he grumbled, digging to the bottom and dumping out most of its contents in the process.

"Hey, Ryo!" Ha-Ya-To called, poking his head in the lab. "You in here?"

"No, I'm not in here! Go away!" Ryo replied. "Actually, I'm in the middle of an extensive and frustrating wiring repair, and I'd rather not be disturbed," the techie admitted, turning around.

"Oh. Well, we're having a three-D chess tournament, and I thought you'd enjoy something like that. We even convinced Masaya, Keisui and Renjuro to put down their tools for a little while! _Please?_" Ha-Ya-To wheedled. "Even Sensei Keiken's taking a break to compete! It'll be the ultimate face-off! You've _gotta_ come!"

"I'd rather not," Ryo said.

"Why not?" Ha-Ya-To demanded. "You're always bugging me to play."

Ryo sighed. "Is Rika going to be there?"

"Rika?" Ha-Ya-To murmured, a confused look on his face. "Oh, Rika," he said a moment later. "I don't know, maybe," he answered.

"Then I'm not going," Ryo declared.

"If I have to drag you, I will," Ha-Ya-To said solemnly. "Sensei even gave me permission."

"He did not," Ryo snapped, realizing the tool he'd been searching for was sitting on the floor behind the Stealth Hunter's leg.

"Did so," Ha-Ya-To insisted as Ryo dove behind the leg, snatching up the tool.

"I'm not going," Ryo said firmly.

Ha-Ya-To sighed, turning around. "Takeshi, he's resisting."

Takeshi pulled open the door and walked in. "Do I have to drag you?" He asked amiably.

"No! I'm not going!" Ryo shouted, grabbing a screwdriver and waving it threateningly.

Takeshi blanched.

"Oh, not this again," Ha-Ya-To muttered. "Come on, Takeshi. Let's leave Mister Grumpy in his lab until doomsday."

"Right," Takeshi agreed, the color returning to his face as he sped through the door. Ha-Ya-To followed behind him, stopping for a moment to send one last barb Ryo's way. "You know what, Ryo? Your sister is a lot more fun than you are." With that final jab, Ha-Ya-To let the door slam behind him.

Ryo winced, then sighed. "I know, Ha-Ya-To. It's always been that way," He murmured sadly.

* * *

AN: Hey yeah, more story. I think I've updated practically all of my stories except for, like, three. Out of nine. So, to all of those people who were expecting more Warped, ETLOGIS, or A New Kind of Threat... sorry. Not that you're reading this anyway, but yeah... Oh no wiat, I haven't updated Another Fine Mess. But No one except Asterisk78 seems to be reading my Exo-Force stuff... if you are, you could review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Rika glanced around, confused. "Wow," She finally commented. "I've never seen most of these people before, and I've been here for almost a week now."

"Oh, yeah," Hikaru replied, smiling down at her. "A lot of these guys are engineers-- they never really leave the lab. If you ask me, I think it's kind of scary that they can do that… I'd go crazy," Hikaru admitted.

"Yeah," Rika agreed, glancing around anxiously, "Me too."

"What's wrong?" Hikaru asked, frowning.

"Oh, nothing," Rika replied absently, once again glaring intently at the crowd.

"Yeah right, nothing. No, Rika, what is it?" Hikaru demanded, turning her shoulders so she faced him.

Rika glanced at the floor, embarrassed. "I don't see Ryo out there," She murmured. "I thought you said all the engineers…"

Hikaru frowned. "He's not down there?" he asked, glancing around.

"Of course he isn't down there," Ha-Ya-To exclaimed, coming up behind them. "He's too busy being a party-pooper."

Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "Really? He's usually the only engineer who does anything fun."

"I know, it's so unlike him! According to him, he has to miss the greatest chess tournament this side of the twentieth century-- and for what? Because Hikaru's Stealth Hunter has a few _busted wires._ Sheesh!" Ha-Ya-To shook his head. "If you ask me, it's an excuse."

"Excuse?" Hikaru asked.

"Yup," Ha-Ya-To said. "He actually really looked like he wanted to come. But then…" He shrugged.

"What?!" Hikaru demanded. "You can't just leave me hanging!"

"Oh, nothing," Ha-Ya-To said pensively.

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Rika said suddenly, "He doesn't want to see me here."

"I don't think…" Ha-Ya-To sighed. "Well, maybe."

Rika's eyes narrowed. "Well, you can go tell him he doesn't have to worry about me. I won't be here to watch, and definitely not competing. After all," She snapped as she marched off, "We wouldn't want him to be embarrassed by me, would we?"

"Embarrassed? Rika, wait!" Hikaru cried, rushing after her.

Ha-Ya-To turned to Takeshi. "Should we tell Ryo?" he asked.

"Why?" Takeshi asked. "More competition."

Ha-Ya-To shrugged. "Yeah. He'll probably just throw screwdrivers at us anyway."

* * *

"Rika, wait up!" Hikaru called, following her down the hall.

"No!" She shouted, whirling around and running down an adjoining hallway.

"Rika, please!" Hikaru shouted. "You can trust me! Tell me, what's wrong?" Gaining on her, the blue-haired pilot stretched out his hand and caught hold of her arm, jerking her to a halt.

Rika sighed. "Fine," she finally said. "You want to know? I'll tell you."

Hikaru frowned. "Know what? I just want to know what's wrong."

"And that's what I'm going to tell you," Rika replied.

"Why do you hate Ryo?" Hikaru asked. "He isn't that bad, not really."

"I don't hate him, not really," Rika answered, shaking her head. "I guess it's just I resent him."

"Why?" Hikaru asked.

"Are you kidding?!" Rika snapped. "He was always the best, at everything! We may have been twins, but he was obviously my parent's favorite. When it came time for birthday gifts, Ryo's were twice as expensive as mine. If I needed to talk to mom or dad, I had to wait. But if Ryo needed to talk-- why, suddenly schedules were tossed to the wind! It was always about Ryo, Ryo, always Ryo!" She snapped, slamming her fist into the wall.

"Wow," Hikaru murmured. "That… that's too bad."

"Yeah. Guess who got the lab while I had to sleep in the same room as my parents?" Rika snapped.

Hikaru shifted uncomfortably. "Um…"

"Guess who got whatever equipment he asked for?"

"Well…"

"Guess who's getting all of mom and dad's inheritance when he's twenty-one? Guess who got the better job opportunities, guess who!!" She screeched, tears streaming down her face.

"Hey, it's… not okay," Hikaru muttered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "But… well, that's not really Ryo's fault, is it?"

Rika sniffled. "I… I guess not. But every time I see him, I start thinking about mom…and dad…and then I get angry all over again," She whispered brokenly. "It's… it's like a vicious cycle."

"Maybe you should talk to Ryo," Hikaru suggested. "He might see it differently."

"I can't even look at him without getting angry," Rika said, looking away. "But maybe you… could you talk to him?" She asked, looking up at Hikaru expectantly.

Hikaru shrugged. "I guess I could."

"Thanks," Rika murmured. "I think I'll go to my room now." Then, disentangling herself from Hikaru's arm, she strode quickly down the hall towards her room.

* * *

"Ryo?" Hikaru called, poking his head into the lab. "Hey, you in here?"

"I already said I'm not going," Ryo snapped, whipping around from the wiring job he was finishing up. "Now scram!"

"I'm not here to tell you to go to the tournament," Hikaru assured him. "But Rika isn't there anyway."

Ryo glared at Hikaru suspiciously. "How do you know?"

"She said she didn't want to enter or watch because she didn't want to embarrass you," Hikaru answered.

Ryo flushed and ducked down to grab a tool.

"What's going on between you two anyway?" Hikaru demanded, walking towards him. "It's not right, how you to act towards each other. She tries to bite your head off, and you cower like a stray dog!"

Ryo sighed, straightening and turning around. "Go ask Rika," he said. "I honestly don't know what her problem is, but it started about a month or two after mom died. And for some reason, it's never gone away."

Hikaru frowned. "I think she resents you for some reason."

"Resents _me?_" Ryo scoffed. "Oh, that's precious. Rika, resents _me._ Why? Because I'm smarter?" he whipped around, anger contorting his features. "It's not easy, playing the docile younger brother," he snapped. "Especially when I wish I could…" sighing, Ryo chuckled sardonically. "But that's not why you're here."

"What do you mean?" Hikaru asked.

"You're here for her," Ryo snapped, spinning around and returning to the wiring job. "Your motives are so transparent it's surprising how many times you fail to recognize the selfish reasoning behind whatever you do."

"What the--" Hikaru stepped forward with the sole intent of bashing Ryo, but he stopped when the techie turned around.

"Get. Out." Ryo said slowly, eyes slitted, voice low and dangerous.

"But Ryo--" Hikaru tried a second time.

"What do you know about me?!" Ryo screamed. "Have you ever tried to get to know me? No! Why should I care about what you _or_ Rika have to say! It's never done me any good! All it's done is hurt me!" Ryo shouted, waving his arms.

"Ryo, listen--"

"You see?" Ryo insisted, throwing his tool to the ground. "You never listen! All you do is talk! Talk, talk, talk, talk!" He continued, pacing and gesturing wildly. "You act like you know everything, but you don't know _anything!_"

"Rika said--"

"_It's always Rika!_" Ryo cried, knocking some tools off his desk. "Everything! 'Here Ryo, go work on your project while we fix Rika a snack.' 'Here Ryo, tell us about your project, then we'll ask Rika how school was, because we think the only things you'll have to say will be about your projects because you're a genius.' 'Ryo, why don't you help Rika with her homework, if you're so smart?' 'Ryo, help with this,' 'Ryo, do that,' 'Ryo, we're buying Rika things she's been wanting-- but hey, you get components you didn't even ask for, or particularly want.' 'Here Ryo, have fun with your power converter while Rika plays with her friends.' 'Stay inside and fix this while Rika goes to the Birthday Party,' 'Ryo.' 'Ryo,' 'Ryo,' 'Ryo, you don't need a life!' " Ryo cried, a sob catching in his throat. " 'Because you're just a genius,' " He whispered. " 'Why would you need anything a _normal_ human does?' 'You've got your brain, and that's all you should need.' "

Hikaru stared at the engineer, slightly taken aback. "Ryo," he murmured, "I didn't know…"

"Of course not," Ryo snapped. "You never do. No one does."

Hikaru frowned. "There have to be people who would under--"

"No, they wouldn't," Ryo answered. "Not unless they also know what it's like."

"To have so much expectations placed on them?" Hikaru asked. "That _is_ a lot of pressure."

"No, you see? This is why you don't understand. It's not the expectations. It's that you're just… a genius," Ryo sighed. "Just a genius."

"I never knew you felt that way," came a voice from across the room. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Ryo glanced up, tears in his eyes. "Rika?" he murmured.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Rika repeated, walking towards him.

"You never gave me the chance," Ryo answered, glancing at the ground. "And I never was one for complaining."

"Maybe…maybe mom and dad weren't so bad after all. Maybe the mistake was on our part," Rika suggested. "We're siblings, twins. We shouldn't hate each other."

"Gee, I'm not a genius, and even I can figure that one out," Hikaru commented.

"Shut it," Ryo and Rika said simultaneously. "Jinx!" they shouted, pointing at each other. "Double Jinx!" they continued. "Triple Jinx! Jinx to end all Jinxes! JINX!!" they squealed, sounding like little kids.

Ryo doubled over laughing. "I forgot about that," he finally gasped. "We used to do that all the time!" he grinned. "Mom and dad never did catch on," he murmured, remembering.

"Yeah, but you did, little brother," Rika exclaimed, grabbing his hair and pulling his head down, swatting the back of his head.

"Ow, ow, hey!" Ryo cried, "Get off!"

"Now come on," Rika said, "The Three-D chess tournament's about to start, and I aim to beat you this time!"

"Never," Ryo vowed, grinning. And together, the brother and sister dashed off, leaving a slightly baffled Hikaru behind.

"That was a fast recovery," he muttered, "Sheesh, that's one proof they're related. You can't keep up with either of 'em!" Then, "Hey guys!" he shouted, "wait up!"

* * *

AN: Um... I just felt the abrupt ending would be fitting for Ryo. it's just kind of the way he is. if it bugs you, sorry... anywho, thanks for reading, and you can check out another one, where the ending will be less abrupt! (unfortunately, Contagion Conspiracy is not one of them)


End file.
